Gabriel Araujo and Maisie Summers-Newton win Citi Para Swimming World Series 2023

Brazil’s Gabriel Araujo and Great Britain’s Maisie Summers-Newton are the winners of the Overall Athletes categories in this year’s Citi Para Swimming World Series. 

British swimmers also topped the rankings in the men’s and women’s Juniors and women’s High-Support Needs categories. Brazil also claimed the men’s High-Support Needs and the Best National Paralympic Committee titles.

Click here to know all the World Series winners! 

“I am so proud to have won the Overall Female World Series this year. I love racing at the World Series events. To have everyone there from all across the world is amazing,” said Summers-Newton, who had previously won the Juniors category in 2019. “And obviously to round the year off with the World Championships at home in Manchester was really incredible. I couldn’t ask much more from this year.”

Summers-Newton scored 3931 points at the Great Britain and Berlin events to finish ahead of compatriot Poppy Maskill and Dutch swimmer Chantalle Zijderveld who tied in second place with 3923 points.

Araujo will also have good memories from his 2023 season adding the World Series titles in the Male Overall and High-Support Needs categories to his three gold medals at the World Championships in Manchester. 

The Brazilian scored 4242 points in his participations at the Citi World Series Lignano Sabbiadoro and Great Britain, leaving Italy’s Simone Barlaam in second (4194 points) and two-time World Series winner Antoni Ponce from Spain in third (4176).

"I am very happy with this title. I went to two of the nine World Series this year competing in many events in each of them and I am happy and emotional that I managed to win," Araujo said. "The World Series are fantastic and crucial for our preparations. I hope in 2024 I can achieve even better results."

HSN and Juniors winners

In the High-Support Needs (HSN) category, Araujo became only the second athlete to win the World Series title as Chile’s Alberto Abarza topped the rankings from 2017 to 2022. This year, the Brazilian collected 4242 points with Poland’s Jacek Czech finishing in second place (3726) followed by Germany’s Josia Topf (3671).

Great Britain won the High-Support Needs category for the first time with Ellie Challis in the women’s category. She scored 3810 at the Citi World Series Berlin and France beating Singapore’s two-time winner Yip Pin Xiu (3673) with Italy’s Angela Procida (3522) in third place.

Second place in the Overall ranking, Poppy Maskill took her first World Series title in the Female Junior category. She picked 3932 at the Series in France and Great Britain ahead of Spain’s Anastasiya Dmytriv (3773) and defending champion Sara Varga of Colombia (3765).

Another British winner this year, William Ellard scored 3942 points competing at home and in Berlin. Malaysia’s Imaan Aiman Muhammad Redzua took the second place in the Men’s Junior category (3624) followed by Ellard’s compatriot Rhys Darbey (3598).

The Best NPC category also saw a first-time winner as Brazilian swimmer accumulated a total 16085 points to top the rankings. Great Britain (15691) and Italy (15576) completed the podium. 

The Citi Para Swimming World Series 2023 was the first season to hold events in all continents starting in Australia, followed by Lignano Sabbiadoro (Italy), Great Britain, USA, Singapore, Berlin (Germany), France, Mexico and Egypt. Complete 2023 rankings can be found here. 

The Citi Para Swimming World Series 2024 is set to kick off in Great Britain at the Aberdeen Sports Village’s Aquatics Centre from 1 to 4 February. The 2024 competition calendar is available here.